W.Virginia's "right to carry" subjects citizens behaving lawfully while armed to being frisked by a police officer - so says the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The fact that a person is lawfully entitled to carry a firearm does not eliminate...
Odor of Marihuana is Still Probable Cause to Search Vehicle
Despite the decriminalization of marihuana, it is still "contraband" and the odor of marihuana provides probable cause for a police officer to search a vehicle so holds the Maryland Court of Appeals in Robinson v. State...
Reasonable suspicion existed to justify a Terry stop and detention
In Chase v. State, the Maryland Court of Appeals held that not only did police officers have reasonable suspicion of drug dealing sufficient to support an investigative detention but the officers' belief that the suspects may be armed and dangerous, based upon the...
Conviction reversed where defendant absent during critical stage of jury deliberations and when mistrial declared
The Maryland Court of Appeals reversed a conviction where it found that the defendant was not present during critical stages of jury deliberations and when the court declared a mistrial over the objections of defense counsel. A jury note was received by the...